Through Muggleborn Eyes: Year Seven
by Kris Pilar
Summary: Bryt Watkins has decided to leave school, and her family, to help her friends hunt down Horcruxes. She's prepared for the dangers, or at least, she hopes she is. Things are going to be hard on her, both physically and mentally. And she constantly worries about whether or not she'll ever see her family, or the friends she left behind, again.
1. Goodbyes

_'Am I doing the right thing?'_

For probably the tenth time in the past few days, seventeen-year-old Bryt Watkins couldn't help but have that thought crossing her mind. Ever since she had come home from Hogwarts the month before, she had been racked with indecision. It was not about leaving her family behind or helping her friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, hunt down Horcruxes to bring down Voldemort. She was set in that path. Nothing was going to turn her away from that. She knew she had to do it.

What was bothering her was her plans to protect her family. Her parents. Her brothers, Mike and Drew.

Bryt stood in her small bedroom, a small vile of golden liquid in her hand. She knew the safest thing was to send her family out of the country. But they didn't have the money for the move. Leaving the country was out of the question.

So instead, they were going to go into hiding with a member of the Order of Phoenix, and friend of the Watkins family, Emily Hughes. The woman was a Muggleborn herself, so she knew she would go into hiding eventually and Bryt felt better knowing they'd have an Auror with them. Despite the fact Emily wouldn't be able to cast any magic around them with Mike and Drew being underage. Of course, if they were ever in a spot where Emily needed to cast magic to defend themselves, the last thing they'd be worrying about was alerting the Ministry to magic being performed around two underage wizards.

Bryt looked over at her closest friend, Hermione Granger, who was sitting on Bryt's bed with a small, beaded purse and Bryt's mini-backpack. The girl had shown up on Bryt's doorstep that morning, her face puffy and red from crying. Apparently, she at least had the money to send her family out of the country. To Australia to be precise. But she hadn't stopped there. Hermione had also altered her parents' memories, changed their identities. And these new identities didn't include knowledge of a daughter. Bryt couldn't imagine doing that. She was sending her parents and brother away, yes, but they would at least still know Bryt existed. She wasn't sure she could take the idea of being just another stranger, a face on the street, in her family's mind. She would never be able to do what Hermione had done.

But Hermione had managed it. And now here she was, a frown on her face as she was working to enchant the two items with some type of undetectable charm that would pretty much make them bottomless pits. They were going to use the small purse while Bryt was going to give her mini-backpack to Emily. They were already planning to give Emily an old tent that Harry and the Weasleys had used during the Quidditch World Cup—Bryt had convinced Mr. Weasley to let her have it to protect her family. After all, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had both become close friends with Bryt's parents. Meanwhile, Bryt and her friends were going to use a smaller, cramped tent that Bryt shared with Hermione, Julio, and Mr. García. It wouldn't leave much room for privacy, but it would do well enough for them.

Bryt looked down at the bottle in her hands again, the source of her indecision. It was a vial of Felix Felicis that Bryt had won the year before in a Potions class, good for twelve hours of luck. Bryt knew what she and her friends were dangerous. They were going to need all the help they could get. But her family were going to need any help they could get as well. Bryt and her friends would be able to use magic. They would all be overage. But Bryt's family and Emily would be one lone witch protecting two Muggles and two underage wizards, none of them able to use magic. Bryt couldn't help but think they'd need this little vial more than she and her friends would.

"You should just give it to them."

Bryt looked back at Hermione, who had looked up from her charmwork. She was still frowning, though considering what she'd been through, Bryt couldn't blame her.

"What if we need it?" Bryt asked, trying to push the thoughts from her mind.

"They'll probably need it more," Hermione said, handing over Bryt's bag she would be lending to her family. Bryt realized it felt a lot heavier than it should. "I went ahead and put the tent in there."

"I think I would feel safer if they had luck on their side," Bryt said with a sigh as she sat down, looking at the rucksack nearby packed with her clothes. She had packed plenty of her cargo pants, tee shirts, sweaters, and jackets. There was no telling how long they'd be gone, what type of clothes they'd need, so Bryt had packed for every occasion. Despite the fact there was no need for it, Bryt had also packed her camera and an empty photo album, plus a couple of blank diaries and self-inking quills. She just didn't feel right without them.

She and Hermione would also be leaving today. Bryt knew this would be the last time she saw her family in a long time. Possible the last time she saw them _period_. There was no guarantee that Bryt would live through this task, after all. It was a feeling she didn't like, and she knew she should be with them, taking in every moment she could. But she couldn't bring herself to. She was afraid the longer she spent with them, the more likely it was she'd back out, that she'd abandon her friends when they needed her most to stay with her family. She couldn't do that, no matter how much the thought lingered in the back of her mind always.

"Just let them have the potion," Hermione said as she stood up and started shoving the second tent into her small coin bag, "We can manage on our own."

Bryt finally nodded, deciding Hermione was right. They've made it through several scrapes on their own in the past. Her family was two underage wizards and two Muggles, accompanied by a witch who wouldn't be able to use magic. They would need more luck than Bryt and her friends.

"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked, grabbing her own bag. Bryt swallowed and nodded. This was it. Possibly the last time she was going to see her family.

"I'll meet you outside in a bit," Bryt said and Hermione seemed to understand because she nodded and gathered Crookshanks in her arms as she left. Bryt waited until Hermione had time to get outside before she slung her bag over her shoulder and went into the living room, her mini-backpack in one hand and the cage that held Bryt's barn owl, Joey, in the other.

Bryt felt as if her heart was squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe, as she looked around her. Her parents were sitting together on the couch, and Bryt just studied them. She got her blonde hair from her mother, though Bryt's was a darker shade, and she had the same shape of her nose and same habit of twisting the bottom of her shirt when she was nervous. Though Amelia Watkins' eyes were a much darker shade of brown. Bryt's light brown eyes came from her father, as did her slightly stocky stature. Though Bryt's shortness didn't come from either—her paternal grandfather, though, was quite short himself.

Bryt turned towards her brothers next. Fourteen years old, and twins as identical in appearance as they were different in personalities. Both had brown hair, like their father, and dark brown eyes like their mother. They both also wore glasses like Mrs. Watkins did.

This was her family. Her parents she looked up to and admired. The father who taught her to ride a bike, who drove away monsters from her closet when she was little. The mother who taught her how to cook, who failed miserably at attempts to get Bryt to wear a dress after she was nine. The brothers Bryt teased and was teased by, the ones she helped at Hogwarts when they had problems.

And this could easily be the last time she ever saw them. What was there to say to that? What could she say to them? Nothing seemed to be appropriate.

"Do you really have to leave, Bryt?" Mrs. Watkins asked, her voice filled with such worry that Bryt thought she was going to buckle right there.

"I...I have to," Bryt managed, "And no, I can't tell you why. But this is what I need to do. What I have to do."

They'd had this conversation several times already, and Bryt always made such weak excuses. This was for the best. She had to do this. She couldn't stay with them. Her friends needed her. They always sounded so feeble to her.

"I have this for you," Bryt put down her bag and looked towards Emily, who had been standing in the corner. She was tall and slim, dark-skinned with a head full of braids, and had become Mrs. Watkins' friend over the past couple of years, "Hermione put some charm on it, it can carry anything. There's a tent in it already. Just in case."

Mike and Drew were frowning, obviously not wanting to think of what 'just in case' meant. Mr. Watkins was staring at Bryt's bag as if he couldn't believe there was a tent in the small thing. Any other time, Bryt would have been amused by her father's obsession with the magical world, but today was not the day.

"And I have something else," Bryt said, holding out the vial to Emily, who took it cautiously, "It's Felix Felicis. Twelve hours' worth."

"Bryt, we can't take this," Emily said, staring at the bottle in wonder.

"I'll feel safer knowing you have it."

Bryt looked back at her family, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt in the same way as her mother was currently.

"Well, this is it," she managed weakly, "I...I have to go now."

Mike and Drew rushed forward and hugged her at the same time. Bryt clung to them in surprise. Drew she expected this from, but not Mike. She just held her brothers, resting her head against their shoulders—three years younger than her, and they were still a head taller.

Soon, Bryt's parents had joined into the hug and Bryt stood there, squeezing her eyes shut and praying that she wouldn't start crying. She couldn't let her family see her crying. She had to show them she was brave. She was confident. She couldn't cry.

It felt like an eternity when her family let go, but Bryt found herself wishing they hadn't. Her father was in front of her, her face cupped in his hands as he smiled at her. That same smile he had as if nothing was going to get him down. The smile Bryt always admired so much from him. She was always so envious of his easy-going nature.

"Emily will protect us," he said with such confidence that Bryt couldn't help but be taken in, to believe he was right, "You go protect your friends. I'm so proud of you, Bryt."

Bryt made herself smile, again fighting back the tears. She was not going to cry. She was not going to let her family see her cry.

Mr. Watkins hugged Bryt yet again, though this one was shorter. Once he let go, Bryt turned and her mother caught her arm and pulled her into a tighter hug than Bryt had ever felt from her. Bryt hugged back, finding herself not wanting to let go. It seemed her mother didn't want to let go, either, as if she thought if she did, Bryt would just vanish on the spot.

The two had their problems the past few years. Mrs. Watkins had once believed that Bryt preferred the magical world to her own family. It had caused a rift between them, and even after Mrs. Watkins knew the truth, knew Bryt wasn't abandoning her family, things had still often been awkward between them. But now, all that was gone. It was just mother and daughter, nothing else mattered. Bryt felt so small, so young in her mother's arms, and protected at the same time. She didn't want to leave.

"I love you, Bryt," Mrs. Watkins whispered in Bryt's ear and Bryt felt that the tears would begin any second. She was still holding them back, but it wouldn't be long before they'd burst through, "Be careful out there and come home. Please come home safe."

"I will," Bryt croaked, her voice shaking slightly. She slowly let go of her mother, not looking at her for fear of breaking down right there, and picked up her bag again and slung it over her shoulder. She knew her mother had to be crying and Bryt couldn't take seeing that. Not when she was fighting back so many tears herself.

Bryt went to the living room door before stopping and looking back into the room. She had to have one last look. It was the last time she'd see her family for a long time. Maybe if she looked quickly, she could keep the tears from coming. She stared at her family, from her brothers who looked so worried, to her father with his brave smile, to her mother who was crying, and then to Emily, who was looking as if she felt she didn't want to intrude.

"Take care of them for me," Bryt said quietly. Emily nodded with a weak grin.

"With my life," she replied.

Bryt gave a small nod, glanced around at her family one last time. She gave them the bravest grin she could manage before she gathered her things, turned away, and walked down the hallway and out the door where Hermione was waiting. Hermione saw Bryt and the look of understanding Bryt gave her in response only seemed to make things worse. Bryt was only leaving her family to send them into hiding. Hermione had erased her parents' memories and sent them out of the country. What Bryt was doing seemed so small in comparison. So Bryt took a deep breath and nodded to Hermione and the two Apparated away.

And not once did she let herself cry.


	2. Thinking Back

The first thing Bryt saw when she arrived at the Burrow was her life-long friend, Julio García, running from the kitchen door, wand in hand. Hermione's face lit up at the sight of her boyfriend, the first sign of cheerfulness she'd shown all day. As expected, however, as they got closer, Julio aimed his wand at them. He asked something in Spanish, and Bryt thought she caught the word meaning 'first', but she was rusty and couldn't quite catch all of the question. Hermione responded in Spanish herself, however, and Julio lowered his wand, moving forward and hugging Hermione.

"Thank God you two got here safely," he whispered, turning to hug Bryt before hugging Hermione again, then looking only to her, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said with a nod, "Eager to get inside."

Julio nodded and ushered them into the Weasley family kitchen. Bryt looked around at the table nearby, surrounded by mismatched chairs, most of which were empty save for one, where a tall, red-haired boy in jeans and a tee sat. Bryt found herself giving a real grin for the first time that day and hurried over to Ron, hugging him just as he stood up. She could never explain why, but she always felt instantly safer with Ron. And after this morning, after what she'd had to do, she needed this. Needed to hug Ron. She needed the comfort of her boyfriend.

"Did you have any trouble?" Ron asked once Bryt pulled away and she shook her head.

"Everything went smoothly," she said, "It's all set up, if trouble comes, Emily'll be able to get them out."

"Good, that's good," Ron said.

"About time y'got here."

Bryt looked up to see her life-long friend, Sofí García coming down the stairs. She definitely looked similar to her brother, though she was slightly taller—even without her platform boots—they both had the same dark hair, though Julio kept his at shoulder length while Sofí had the year before started wearing hers shorter, at her chin, and both had the same narrow faces and dark eyes, and were both quite lean. Though Julio's was hidden behind baggy, torn jeans and loose tops with flannel shirts, while Sofí's was accented by her tees, plaid skirts, and tights.

"It's been a long day," Bryt said, "Where's everyone else?"

"Dad's at work, he's been working late every date lately," Ron said, "Mum's upstairs cleaning with Ginny, she wants the house spotless before the wedding."

"She'll be wrappin' you into cleanin' soon enough," Sofí said, pushing herself up to sit on the table. Even though she'd moved to England the year before, she couldn't seem to lose her Southern accent, unlike Julio's whose was almost completely gone now, "She seems t'think that the weddin's the only thing worth thinkin' 'bout."

"You know that's not true," Julio snapped at his sister, "She's worried, just like the rest of us. This war is getting harsher, not to mention Mad-Eye and Remus are here nearly every night to plan getting Harry from the Dursleys safely. So Mrs. Weasley focuses on the wedding because she needs to. She can't let herself get lost in worrying about everything else."

"Yeah, well, I wish she wouldn't drag the rest of us into it," Sofí said, "I think I cleaned the same room three different days already."

"Is there any news on how we're getting Harry here?" Hermione suddenly asked, and Bryt guessed it was to derail an argument before it could start.

"Yes," Julio said with a nod, "They finally figured out a couple of days ago."

Julio moved to sit down at the table and Hermione sat next to him, while Ron and Bryt remained standing near the table.

"We're going to be getting him in a couple of days," Julio said, then as Bryt opened her mouth, "We know it's before he's of age, but that's the point. You-Know-Who will be expecting us to move him on his birthday, so we're doing it before."

"But Dung came up with a pretty clever trick, just in case," Sofí grinned at them, referring to Mundungus Fletcher, a thief and black market dealer that was a member of the Order somehow. Bryt never really understood it.

"Surprisingly," Julio added. He wasn't fond of the thief, much like Bryt and Hermione. Bryt couldn't help but wonder what Harry would think of Mundungus playing a big part of planning his move. After all, he grew to dislike Mundungus a lot the last year after he caught the man stealing from Sirius Black's home, only a few months after Sirius had died.

"What'd he suggest?" Hermione asked.

"We're going to take a group to Harry's," Julio said, "And a batch of Polyjuice Potion. Half of us disguise ourselves as Harry, and be decoys. Each of the groups will go to different preset locations, different safe houses, and then using a portkey to come on back to the Burrow."

"That actually really is clever..." Hermione said reluctantly, as if she weren't sure she wanted to agree to any plan that came from a thief. Bryt couldn't blame her, but still, the plan did sound solid. And they'd need something to fall back on in case things went to hell. And truth be told, they almost always did.

"How many people are going?" Bryt asked.

"About a dozen, I think," Julio said, then paused, "No, more than that. Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Remus, Moody, Kingsley, Mundungus, Fred and George, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, myself—"

"And me," Ron added.

"Well, I want to help," Bryt said instantly, I want to go."

"Me too," Hermione said with a determined nod.

"Bryt—"

"Don't even start, Ron," Bryt cut her boyfriend off, "I'm going. We've been through worse."

Ron still didn't look happy about the idea, but he finally nodded.

"You're right," he said.

"We already figured you two would be coming," Julio said, "Moody's arranged the teams already, Hermione, you'll be heading with Kingsley, and Bryt, you'll be with me."

Hermione nodded, though she didn't seem that happy about the arrangement. She was probably hoping to go with Julio.

"I thought I heard voices."

Bryt looked up to see Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger, and only, sister. Bryt grinned and hugged the girl in greeting. Out of all of Ron's siblings, Ginny was the one she was closest to. The one she had the most in common with. Though sometimes Ginny's bluntness could be a bit irritating, Bryt was still very close to the girl.

"You and Hermione are sharing my room," Ginny said, "Better to head up and get your things put away before Mum starts dragging you into work."

"I gotta get goin' anyway," Sofí said as she checked her watch, "I gotta get home and change, then get to work."

Sofí waved goodbye before heading off for her job at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in Diagon Alley. Bryt was still sometimes surprised at just how good the girl was at the job, truthfully. After all, Sofí was always so aloof and rarely took things seriously. Her and a job just didn't seem like something that would mix well.

Bryt grabbed her bag and gave Ron a kiss on the cheek before she followed Ginny up the stairs to the girl's bedroom. As she put her bag down on one of the cots, Hermione doing the same in another corner, Bryt couldn't help but look around. The last time she'd been in this room, stayed in this room, was three years ago...The summer before her fourth year at Hogwarts...

Three years...Three years ago, Bryt had been fourteen...Just a typical fourteen-year-old, dealing with her first boyfriend, Terry Boot, who seemed to have become distant in letters over the summer, with a sprained ankle that kept her away from playing Quidditch in the yard with her friends. The summer where she first grew close to Ginny, realized she had more in common with the youngest Weasley than she first thought.

It was also the first summer where their lives started to take that turn. Bryt could still remember the chaos on that last night at the Quidditch World Cup. Everyone had been so excited over the Irish winning. Then it all went to hell. Death Eaters marching through the camp, hovering that Muggle family above them...Something that haunted Bryt's nightmares for weeks afterwards...The crowds screaming and running...Bryt running blindly until she ended up in the woods...catching her ankle on roots and hearing someone coming...the relief when she realized it was Harry and Ron...Then the Dark Mark thrown in the air above them...

Three years ago marked the first change of how their life would end up. So much had changed in the three years since Bryt had last been in this room. Bryt's brothers started at Hogwarts. Drew Sorted into Hufflepuff, while Mike became a Gryffindor...Bryt broke up with Terry, very publically...Harry had to go through the Triwizard Tournament...Bryt had fallen in love with her best friend Ron, and now had been dating him for over two years...

Then there was their fifth year. Voldemort was back. And the Ministry was in denial. Harry had been turned into an outcast. They had formed the DA, Dumbledore's Army, to teach themselves to fight back, because their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time wasn't doing anything.

Bryt glanced at the back of her left hand at that. At the words 'I must not commit violence' scarred into the back of her hand in her own handwriting. All from a vindictive woman who was crueler than anyone Bryt had ever met in her life.

So they had formed the DA. And they were forced to put that training in use earlier than they ever should have. Bryt and a few of her friends had ended up in the Ministry in the middle of the night, thinking they were going to save Sirius, Harry's godfather, only to be lured into a trap that led to that very man's death. Something that hit all of them hard...

And the last year only made things worse. On the surface, everything could almost seem normal once they were at Hogwarts. They still had classes. They still did what they did every day. Everything seemed normal. Except at the same time, everything was tense and nervous. Each time they opened a newspaper, they saw more articles on families found dead, or gone missing. Of attacks. Of reminders that there was a war going on.

Then there was the night the Death Eaters got in. Even Hogwarts was no longer safe. They had to fight within the halls of their own second home. Bryt still stared at her wrist, where barely two months before, a turquoise beaded bracelet once rested since she was twelve. Snapped and shattered during the battle. Her lucky charm, gone.

Yet she wished that her bracelet had been the only thing lost. She would have given up a thousand lucky charms to bring back their old headmaster, Dumbledore. She'd only actually spoken to the man face-to-face a couple of times, but he had always seemed unbeatable. He was what stood between them and Voldemort. As long as he was around, things would be okay. But now he was gone. The reality was fully setting in. There was no escaping the war now. Which was why Bryt was sending her family into hiding. Why Hermione had sent her parents to Australia with new identities. Why they would soon be leaving with Harry and Ron to finish Dumbledore's last mission. Find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes.

Bryt sighed as she looked out the window. She again thought back to her fourteen-year-old self, sitting on this very cot, in this very spot, staring out this very window. Back then, even after the events of the Quidditch World Cup, she doubted she would have ever imagined, been up to, doing what she was going to do today.

A lot had changed in the past three years. Everything had changed for them, made them stronger, but also scarred them more. And she had a feeling that by the time she returned to this house, by the time she saw this room again, a lot more would have changed. There would be even more scars, even more loss...

That is, if she ever returned at all.


	3. Waiting at the Burrow

The next couple of days passed as if in slow motion for Bryt, as if she were moving through a thick fog. In the past, when something came up, when they threw themselves into some life-threating task, they had no heads up. They just decided and immediately ran headlong into it. Or things escalated quickly and they didn't have time to think, if they decided to head into something, if they knew trouble was coming, they always headed into it within hours.

But now, Bryt knew it was coming days in advance. It was one thing thinking about how she would be leaving with Harry to hunt the Horcruxes, because they didn't know exactly when they would leave. They didn't know exactly what they would be doing. It wasn't much different than when they were preparing in the DA, or spending the last year in school. They knew that danger was there, but they didn't know what to expect.

What was upcoming, she knew what to expect. There was the chance that things would go smoothly, but she knew from experience things rarely did. And this time they knew what to expect if and when things went to hell. That impending danger, knowing what was coming, was a whole new experience for Bryt. She found herself going through everything that could happen. Everything that could go wrong.

The fact that she could freeze up at any second. That at any moment, fear would get the best of her. And she'd risk not only her life, but others as well.

These thoughts going through her head kept her on edge for the next two days, and kept her from being able to get to sleep easily. But at least she had distractions to try and help. True to what Ron had told them, Mrs. Weasley had them cleaning every day. She also seemed determined to make sure whatever they were cleaning, Ron, Hermione, and Bryt were never in the same room together. Bryt wouldn't have thought much of it on the first day, but when she kept it up through the second, Bryt started to wonder if Mrs. Weasley had some idea that if Bryt, Hermione, and Ron couldn't plan anything, they wouldn't be able to leave when Harry arrived.

Something that seemed to be confirmed on the second afternoon as Bryt was cleaning the kitchen after dinner with Mrs. Weasley, putting up the dishes as Mrs. Weasley washed them. She found it a bit odd that she could reach cabinets pretty easily, until she remembered she wasn't all that much shorter than Mrs. Weasley was, and it dawned on her the kitchen had probably been set up for her to get easy access to everything.

"I've heard that you're not going back to Hogwarts for your final year," Mrs. Weasley said as she handed Bryt a plate to dry. Bryt nearly dropped the plate, but managed to keep a hold of it as she kept her attention on it instead of looking at Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes ma'am," Bryt said, unsure of what else to say.

"And why aren't you?" Mrs. Weasley asked, it obvious that she was trying a bit too hard to keep her tone casual, "After all, your education is very important. Especially if you want to get into MCRS."

Bryt put the plate on the stack with the others, taking the next one that Mrs. Weasley handed to her. She was quiet for a moment, trying to carefully word what she was going to say. She didn't want to get Mrs. Weasley upset with her. Of course Bryt had wanted to join the Magical Creature Removal Squad, but that was before all of this. It just seemed a bit petty trying to act like life was normal right now.

"This is something important," she finally said, "I can't talk about it, but it's important."

"Well, I think I should have a right to know what my son is doing, and I'm sure your parents feel the same about you."

Bryt frowned, drying off the last of the plates, putting it on the stack. Why did she have to play the concerned parent card? Bryt was already feeling guilty enough about doing this, about leaving her family. She needed need more reminders.

"I've already talked to my parents about this," she said, "They understand."

"But heaven knows they still have to be worried."

'_Of course they are,'_ Bryt thought, but didn't say so out loud as she put away the last of the plates. She dried off her hands more and looked at Mrs. Weasley, eager to get away from this conversation.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to head to bed early, if that's okay?"

"What?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking caught off-guard, "Oh, yes, that's fine. Good night, Bryt."

"Good night, Mrs. Weasley," Bryt said, heading from the kitchen, wanting to get away from the conversation.

Bryt sighed, heading into Ginny's bedroom, relieved to see Hermione was there, and alone. She came over and sat at the edge of Hermione's cot, running a hand through her short blond hair.

"I just got cornered by Mrs. Weasley about why we're not going back to Hogwarts," she said.

"She cornered me this morning when we were cleaning the sitting room," Hermione said with a sigh, "She doesn't seem to want to let this drop about what we're doing."

"Lupin and Kingsley did," Bryt said, remembering the night before, when they dropped the subject completely as soon as Ron said they were acting on Dumbledore's orders to keep this quiet, "Why can't she?"

"I think she's just worried," Hermione said slowly, "I mean, we're all going off to do who-knows-what and then there's the war..."

Bryt sighed.

"I just wish she'd accept that we have to do this," she said.

"It's probably hard for her when all she has is our word that Dumbledore wanted us to do this," Hermione said, "And I guess it has to be hard to believe that a group of teenagers are the only ones that can find a way to defeat Voldemort."

Bryt nodded. The idea was insane. That four teenagers with no clue what to do or where they were going could be able to find Horcruxes when they had no idea where to start looking, nor did they have any idea how to destroy one when they did find one...

"I wish Dumbledore had given us a bit more information about what we're supposed to do," Bryt said.

"He probably thought he had more time," Hermione said bitterly. Bryt nodded, looking out the window. Dumbledore probably expected to have more time to explain everything to Harry. Hadn't expected to be murdered by a man he trusted...

"Have you found anything to help?" Bryt asked, casting a careful glance at the door. She felt a bit guilty, her and Hermione having this conversation without Ron, but there was no way she could find him to get him without someone noticing. Especially the way Mrs. Weasley had been on them constantly. So she was just going to take the time she could now with Hermione and hopefully fill Ron in later. But still, she and Hermione had to be careful what they said. Just in case someone happened to be walking by, or whenever Ginny would be coming in.

"No, not yet," Hermione said with a sigh, "And I've been looking, whenever I have the chance."

Bryt nodded, readjusting herself on the bed a bit and watching Hermione, who was fiddling with the locket around her neck. A simple piece of jewelry, with a locket in the shape of a book, that Julio had given Hermione for Christmas a few years ago. Bryt found her own hand going up to the pocket watch hanging around her own neck, a gift from Ron on her last birthday, in tradition that witches and wizards received pocket watches when they came of age.

"How's Julio handling this?" Bryt asked. Julio hadn't been over today, as he had to work, but he had been over the day before and spent most of the day with Hermione.

"He's asked twice to come with us," Hermione said quietly, gripping to her locket tighter as she stared out the window, "I finally convinced him that he couldn't, but I hated having to. I'm worried. About if I'll ever see him again..."

"We'll get through this," Bryt said, "Besides, you two have those two-way diaries. We'll be able to keep up with what's going on."

"Actually, no, we won't," Hermione said with a sigh, "We can't risk if something happens, if someone gets ahold of one of those books. So I'm leaving mine behind."

Bryt knew how much that had to upset Hermione. She was giving up that one connection to Julio. That one way she could keep up with knowing if he was okay, how everyone would be doing. But she could also see how it could be dangerous holding into a book with a magical link to someone else. Especially if it ended up in the wrong hands.

Bryt heard footsteps coming up the stairs and she got up, heading over to her own cot and going through her bag for pajamas in case it was Mrs. Weasley coming to check on them. Though when the door opened, it was Ginny coming in, looking exhausted from a day of cleaning. Bryt and Hermione shared a glance, a look that said they both knew their conversation was over, and all three girls got ready for bed.

Like the last two nights, Bryt just lay awake in her cot, staring at the ceiling, unable to get to sleep. After an hour, she sighed and rolled over in her cot, glancing between the other two girls, aware they were both asleep by now, and she picked up her pocket watch from the shelf next to her, running her fingers along the dragon design carved into it.

She was starting to feel a bit guilty. When they left, when they went off to hunt Horcruxes, Harry would be cutting off all contact with Ginny. Hermione would be losing that contact with Julio. But Bryt would still have Ron. He'd still be there with them. Though she was happy that he'd be there, she couldn't help but feel guilty over it. That she'd have someone she cared for so deeply so close, while they would have to always wonder how Ginny or Julio were doing...

It was true they were all leaving people behind. Leaving behind family and friends...But Harry and Hermione were also leaving behind people so close to them, while Bryt would still have her boyfriend with her. She wouldn't have to worry constantly about if something happened to him...Wouldn't have him back here, worrying about what she was doing, having no clue why she had to leave...Ron would be with her.

Bryt closed her hand over the pocket watch. It wasn't fair. To Harry, to Hermione, to Ginny, or to Julio.

Of course, this was a war. Things were never fair when it came to wars. Bryt just had to look at the past few years, at how many people had already died for this. Sirius and Dumbledore. The countless names she saw in the _Daily Prophet_ each week...And she knew there were going to be more before this war ended...

Bryt sighed as she rolled onto her back again, holding the pocket watch against her chest as she stared at the ceiling. She should be happy that Ron would be by her side. But she wasn't happy about any of this. About sending her family into hiding. About knowing that Sofí and Julio would be doing the same thing if things got bad. Hermione sending her parents out of the country with new memories...No, Bryt wasn't happy about any of this.

But right now she needed to get sleep. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow, a long night ahead of them. They were going to be bringing Harry to the Burrow. And if things went to hell, they all needed to be well-rested.

So Bryt rolled over onto her side, still gripping her pocket watch in her hand, the chain tangled around her fingers a bit, as she pulled a pillow over her head and tried to get to sleep.


End file.
